Arian Foster stock will be for sale on market as Fantex Holdings pioneers new venture

New York Daily News | Oct 18

If you want a piece of Texans running back Arian Foster you'll soon be able to get it - on the stock market.

In a pioneering venture that could change the world of athlete endorsements Fantex Holdings of San Francisco is paying Foster $10 million for a 20 per cent share in his future income - including his NFL salary - and will start selling $10 shares of Foster now that it has registered its initial public offering with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Foster is kind of lucky he's not interception-prone teammate Matt Schaub whose knee injury was cheered by Houston's home town fans and his jersey burned by one. But that's the risk involved.

"Fantex is bringing sports and business together in a way never previously thought possible" CEO Buck French said in a statement when the concept was announced Thursday. "By building a marketplace that allows customers to buy shares in a tracking stock linked to the value and performance of an athlete's brand Fantex is enabling a new level of brand advocacy through ownership."

It's less like owning a race horse than it is financial fantasy football because an athlete's endorsement potential is usually tied to his performance unless he has reached the superstar echelon.

It's also unclear what the ramifications might be with NFL licensing. The league declined comment via email Thursday.

According to ESPN.com Fantex will collect 20 per cent of Foster's earnings including the guaranteed five-year $20.7 million contract he signed with the Texans last year. Foster had endorsement deals with Under Armour and FuseScience an energy drink also endorsed by Tiger Woods. He recently acquired a stake in Health Warrior which sells a healthy snack bar made from chia seeds.